NASCAR team owner: 'There's nobody left in Detroit other than the police and unemployed'

AP file photoFelix SabatesA NASCAR team owner had some not-so-nice to things to say about the Motor City recently.

In a post over at the Jackson Citizen Patriot's sports section, racing
magnate Felix Sabates believes NASCAR could be more appealing if the
season were shorter and decreasing trips to some of the top tracks in
the country.

But a more radical suggestion would be to drop Michigan International
Speedway -- in Brooklyn, about an hour away from the city -- from
NASCAR competitive racing completely.

Cit Pat, January 28:
"I mean, there's nobody left in Detroit other than the police and
unemployed," Sabates said. "I'd cut Michigan off the schedule
altogether. Michigan — I'm talking about the state — is never coming
back to what it used to be, so why go there and throw good money after
bad money."

MIS President Roger Curtis heard about Sabates' comments and had this
to say: "He clearly doesn't appreciate the natural beauty of our state
or
understand the challenges that Michigan, its residents and the city of
Detroit will overcome."

Although Detroit is dominated by big-ticket sports like basketball and
baseball, that's not to say there isn't a racing fan base as well. Not
only is MIS a huge draw for race fans, Sabates must have also forgotten
about the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix every year.